Stranded
by randomwierdo
Summary: Rewritten ending to Hallmark's Stranded, a revamp of the Swiss Family Robinson...but with pirates!
1. Facing the Consequences Part 1

Tendrils of red swirled away with the waves, as Jake crouched with his bloodied hands dipped in the water. He watched, mesmerised, as one of his last links to Blunt was washed away. Breaking out of his idle speculation, he shook his head to try and rid himself of thoughts of his upcoming interrogation with the Navy.

He rose, glancing towards his guards, who were warily watching his every move. Away to his right he could hear the finishing murmurs of the discussion that had been going on between Captain Montrose and the rest of his family.

It felt strange to go back to that, having someone he could call his family. Although he had to admit it made a good change from being alone with only the captain to depend on.

He sighed, lowering his aching body onto the beach, watching as the ship that had been his home for as long as he cared to remember sailed away, slowly diminishing to a smudge on the horizon. His head was throbbing from the explosion, and he gingerly prodded his ribs, only now becoming aware of the intense pain, probably caused by the fight on the bridge. He had definitely bruised or cracked at least one rib in that fall.

It had been barely half an hour since Blunt had passed away, and he was only now getting over the initial shock of the day's incidents, and beginning to think about the aftermath. Jake felt a fleeting realisation of what a dangerous situation he had gotten himself into, a feeling which he immediately suppressed. He would deal with that later, or rather, he would be dealt with, one way or another. He was safe, for now at least.

He was broken out of his musings by the sudden arrival of Sarah, who had ignored the guards' half-hearted attempts to stop her, and dropped down on the beach next to Jake. Somehow he knew there was something on his newfound sister's mind…

They sat in awkward silence until suddenly… "What was it like?"

"What do you mean?" answered Jake, bewildered and a tad apprehensive.

"Piracy! How did you survive? They all looked like violent, fool-mouthed thugs!"

"Well… the Captain helped-"

"Blunt? He seemed like the worst of them all!"

Jake sighed. He'd been wondering when this would come up. "He wasn't normally like that. He acted differently here, but on the ship he… well he looked out for me."

Sarah seemed to contemplate this for a while, while Jake held his breath, hoping she wouldn't stay on this line of questioning for much longer; there were some things he couldn't confront, not yet.

After a couple of minutes of pensive silence, Sarah glanced at the dining area. "What do you think will happen? With Father, I mean."

Jake thought on this for a while, "I honestly think he'll be fine. He saved Captain Montrose's Daughter from… the Captain and Pickles. I think Captain Montrose owes him one or two favours for that."

Sarah tactfully pretended not to notice her brother's inability to say his surrogate father's name, not quite understanding why.

"I wonder what will happen now. I used to hate this island, but now I couldn't bear the thought of leaving it. England seems… foreign, I don't think I'd like it. I suppose you'd be more used to it, you must have travelled quite a bit by now…"

Jake let the unspoken questions hover between them, watching as Sarah idly burrowed her feet into the sand.

"I'm really sorry, you know," he suddenly burst out.

Sarah looked at him, obviously confused at thus abrupt exclamation. Then it suddenly clicked.

Softly she stated, "It wasn't your fault. Anyone would have done the same after seven years on a pirate ship. Nobody blames you."

"You should! I knew something would happen; I should never have let Blunt come here! I could have stopped all this!"

Sarah stared; this was the most animated she had seen Jake become in the last few days.

Jake slowly regained his composure, reverting back to what Sarah had started to refer to as his 'neutral' face, the expression he wore when he didn't want to give away any emotion, which, now she came to think of it, was more of his default look. Probably a side effect from living with a bunch of treacherous pirates, she decided.

"You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry you had to go through it." He finished.

Sarah let it lie, aware that there was something Jacob wasn't telling her, but not quite comprehending what was on his mind. Despite their separation, she still felt a strong attachment to her older brother, and she knew from past experience that he would tell her in due time. Even though he looked like a completely different person after all this time, she still saw something of his old character under the pirate façade.

"How's Fritz?" he inquired, wretchedly

"He's fine, the bullet didn't go in far, it was just a flesh wound, really. Don't worry!" Sarah tried to reassure her brother, knowing he would be blaming himself for Fritz's injury.

Jake looked back at the guards, who had drifted somewhat away, wincing at the sudden movement and unconsciously putting a hand round his chest after this brought on another painful reminder of the fight. Sarah noticed his grimace, and realised for the first time the bloody, dusty shirt he was wearing.

"You're filthy," she told him, matter-of-factly, "I can get you a clean shirt at least."

She got up, but Jake made to stop her, saying "Don't worry, I brought some things with me though…" a thought struck him, and he once again glared at the guards with contempt, saying with a bitter smile, "I think I'd probably get shot if I tried to get them."

Sarah immediately offered to get them, and ran off, again blatantly ignoring the two Navy men. She returned with a simple canvas bag, handed it over to Jake and sat down again, seeming not to notice the guards' indignation.

Jake suppressed a smile, taking a bundle out of the bag and handing it to his little sister.

"This is for you."

Sarah eagerly opened her package to reveal…

"Isabel! You kept her all this time?"

"I kept her so I wouldn't forget," Jake replied, simply.

Sarah sat with the doll in her lap, silently taking in her pristine condition and the care in which she had been wrapped up securely. Meanwhile Jake had been rummaging through the bag again, finally bringing out a clean cream shirt, and proceeding to take off the stained waistcoat and shirt. Sarah took in his nearly emaciated appearance and long scar along his ribs, and exclaimed at the bruises that littered his abdomen.

"What happened? That can't have been from your fight with Blunt!"

Jake smiled self-consciously, shrugging his shoulders dismissively, "It's nothing. I wound up Pickles a couple of days ago, and he… he gets angry easily. It's nothing, don't worry."

Sarah looked at him sceptically. The bruises were only faint at the moment, but they were extensive. She didn't ask him what he did that annoyed Pickles to such an extent, knowing that she probably wouldn't like the answer.

As Jake put on the new, clean shirt, and put his other clothes back in the bag, she noticed the rag tied round his left hand.

"What is that for?"

Jake froze, eventually answering, "Rope burn. It's hell to get when you work on a ship, but inevitable. This stops me getting it so badly". He hated lying to her, but felt that the truth would raise too many questions and lead down yet another path he was unwilling to revisit.

But Sarah wasn't going to fall for that trick. She persisted, "Why do you only have it on one hand then? Especially as you're right-handed!"

"You ask a lot of questions!"

"And you avoid answering them!" She retorted. Yet she let the subject be, not willing to risk the frail relationship they were rebuilding, especially not just because of her own curiosity. She sighed, Jake was hard to talk to in 'default mode'; he was too careful not to give away anything about his life on the pirate ship.

Jake could barely suppress his relief at the appearance of Ernst, hoping that Sarah would be too distracted to ask him any more awkward questions. His relief was short lived, however, after he realised why Ernst had left the discussion.

"You're wanted in the dining room Sarah, they've decided what to do about Father's sentence!" Ernst looked uncomfortably at his younger brother, adding "And Captain Montrose wants to talk to you now Jacob."


	2. Facing the Consequences Part 2

Part 2

The Robinson family had gathered on the upper decking of Falcon's Nest, joined by Captain Montrose and his daughter, inseparable after their reunion.

Captain Montrose turned to David.

"In the eyes of the law, you are a felon."

"I am ready," replied David

"But not in mine, Pastor," his gaze softened as he looked down at his daughter. "In my eyes you are the man who saved my daughter from the living death"

Captain Montrose stepped forward, grasping the Pastor's hand.

"The year's you passed here, sir, are surely sentence enough. I will argue your case with the authorities, and you will have your freedom."

Lara and David embraced, exclaiming their delight at this astonishing turn of events.

"Tomorrow my tour of duty ends and we sail to Bombay. From there I shall be raking my daughter to England, I would be honoured if you and your family would accompany us"

The present company visibly relaxed after this generous announcement, with Sarah beaming outright. Captain Montrose then turned to Jacob, still flanked by the two guards.

"Next is the more complicated matter of what to do with you, Jacob," Montrose said, fixing him with a penetrating look which Jake held as best he could.

"Let's sit down, shall we?" he suggested, taking a seat at the table and indicating for Jacob to sit opposite him. The two guards shoved him forward rather unceremoniously, causing him to stumble and glare calculatingly at them.

The Captain overlooked the unnecessary forcefulness of his men, knowing they were not willing to let Jake's pirate days go so effortlessly, merely telling the guards to stand down for the moment. Jake tried not to wince as he sat down gingerly, knowing too well how dangerous it was to show any kind of weakness in this sort of situation.

"Now Jacob," began Captain Montrose, "I have here your report file."

Jake imperceptibly tensed, trying not to show his unease.

"It contains a detailed, though I'm guessing not complete, list of your crimes. We are going to have to go through them, as well as some general administration, before we can decide on your future. I would strongly advise you to give your full cooperation with all of this."

Jacob nodded wretchedly, wishing his family weren't witnessing this, but they seemed too interested in his past offences to leave now.

"Firstly I need your full name."

"Jacob Robinson," he replied apprehensively.

"And your middle name?" Montrose looked up at Jake, noting the fleeting expression of panic on his face, before turning to Pastor Robinson instead.

"Daniel," David supplied

"Date of birth," he continued, turning back to Jacob once more.

"Uh…"

The Captain again noticed the boy's embarrassed hesitation, before asking his parents the rest of the questions.

"30th of October 1800," Lara supplied, clearly stunned that her youngest son had forgotten so much about his previous life.

"Place of birth and your full names, please."

"Berne, Switzerland, David Johann Robinson and Lara Elisabeth Robinson."

Jake fidgeted uneasily under his siblings' confused stares.

"Thank you, Pastor. Now, back to your extensive crimes," Montrose scanned down the list, muttering occasionally to himself.

"You have seven accounts of defiling the property of the crown, namely the disabling of the following ships: Anne - 1810, the Minstrel - 1812, the Earl Spencer - 1813, the Northampton - 1815, the Canada - 1815, the Guilford - 1816, and, of course, the Resolution - 1816.

"You also have numerous accounts of theft on said ships, as well as countless assaults on of naval officers and crew. Last seen in Port William, 20th of January, 1816. Would you agree with this?"

"Yes," Jake replied simply, eyes apprehensively flicking to see his parents' reactions, which were, understandably, not promising.

"This is not including your involvement with the kidnapping of my daughter." Here Montrose failed to conceal the resentment blazing in his eyes.

Jake shrank back from his fierce look, saying, "In all honesty I was not involved. It was a spontaneous decision, made by Blunt and Blunt alone. At that point I was disabling the rudder chain of your ship, I wasn't even aware your daughter was on the Albatross until the next day."

This reply seemed to calm Montrose, though his bitterness was still there beneath his composure.

"Frankly, Captain Montrose, it was one of the Captain's worst ideas. And that, as you can imagine, is saying a lot."

"Why do you say that?" Despite his inhibitions, Montrose was curious.

"In kidnapping your daughter he secured our capture. Nothing would have prevented you from hunting us after that, you wouldn't abandon your daughter o that fate."

Montrose smiled slightly, surprised by the boy's insight, and already taking a liking to Jake's forthright manner of speaking. Looking back at the report, his smile faded as he noticed a shocking piece of information he had not registered previously.

"It says here that you have had one confrontation with the East India Trading Company and were duly punished. This was in December 1810, making you… 11 at the time?" Montrose asked incredulously.

Jake nodded, not meeting the Captain's gaze, and unconsciously fiddling with the rag on his hand.

Montrose observed the slight movement, understanding immediately, and making a slight note.

After he had finished making additional observations on Jake's report, he then passed it across the table, saying, "Read this through, tell me if anything is incorrect, and then sign at the bottom."

Jake looked agitatedly at the complex mess of writing in front of him then looked at Montrose, praying he would understand his awkward predicament.

Ernst, quicker on the uptake than the rest, exclaimed "You can't even remember how to read?!"

Jake bristled, ashamed of his illiteracy, but slightly angry at his older brother's almost disgusted response.

"Well there wasn't much use on a pirate ship! Who did you think would teach me, Pickles?" He gave a bitter laugh. "When he wasn't trying to kill me, perhaps? I can read maps, countries, simple words. If you could aim reasonably well and knew how to climb a rope, there wasn't much use for erudition."

"Well, this makes it all a bit more difficult," said Montrose, carefully pondering the situation. At length he said "Lieutenant Dartmouth, come here and read this through. Please speak up if there is anything here which I have not mentioned previously, especially if it might cause problems later for young Jacob."

A young man stepped forward, picked up the report and scrutinised it. After a couple of minutes he handed it back to Montrose, saying "It's all accurate, Captain."

"Thank you, James. Now, you'll have to trust our word that I have not altered the evidence, merely noting down exactly what you have told us. Please sign your name at the bottom. You can do that, can't you?" He added, as an afterthought.

"Yes, I can write tolerably well, I'm just not too competent with reading." And true to his word, Jake smoothly wrote his signature where the Captain had indicated.

"Right, on with the questioning. Were you at any point unwillingly forced into committing the aforementioned crimes?" Montrose inquired.

"No," Jake replied slowly, his heart sinking, telling himself that it would be better to tell the truth and throw himself on Montrose's mercy.

The Captain sighed, glancing at David and Lara's worried expressions. This was not going to be easy. He tried a different line of questioning, trying to unearth any fact that might even slightly excuse the actions of the young lad sat in front of him.

"You had been on this ship for seven years. Why not leave? You came from an honest, law-abiding family, so why were you compelled to stay on a pirate vessel?"

Jake contemplated this, not wanting to make weak excuses when the man was being so pleasant to him; considering the circumstances, Montrose had every right to arrest him there and then, and take him in chains to face the East India Trading Company.

"I don't know. The Captain was all I had, I suppose. He initially took me to Port William, he even offered to help me search for my family when I couldn't find any news of them there. He kept the façade of a merchant ship for a few months of least, and by that time I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't harm me. Well…" Jake seemed to consider adding an afterthought, then faltered self-consciously, once more trying to judge his family's response to this information.

"Can you describe this relationship between yourself and Mr. Blunt, please?", asked Captain Montrose, trying not to emphasise the 'Mr', and leaning back in his chair as he tried to untangle the facts.

After a few seconds Jacob replied, "Well, he was protective over me. After a while he became like a surrogate father, looking out for me when I got into trouble."

"Can you then explain you behaviour upon reaching this island? Why did you not rejoin your family? After all, you had been searching for them for so long."

Jake stared hard at Montrose, trying to decide whether he was making fun of him. Finally he answered.

"I had begun to think that they were dead. I was in shock."

"And then?"

"Then… then the Captain…" Jacob paused, obviously unwilling to continue.

"Yes?" prompted Captain Montrose.

Reluctantly Jacob resumed, "Later, Blunt threatened to kill them if I spoke to them, or put a foot out of line."

He could hear his mother's gasp, and saw his father restrain her gently with a hand on her shoulder.

After contemplating this surprising answer for a few minutes, Captain Montrose said "What made you confront him in the end? Why risk so much just to hand yourself over to us?"

This time Jacob replied unhesitatingly and openly, "I didn't want him to hurt my family."

Satisfied, Montrose finished his notes, turning to Jacob and inquiring, with a strange look in his eyes, "Are you prepared to face the consequences of you actions?"

"Yes! Whatever the cost," was Jake's fervent reply.

"Even if the penalty was death?"

Jake froze. His watching family went even quieter, if it was possible, taken aback by the revelation that their son might still be torn away from them again, after all of this.

Jake swallowed, his fists clenched, his gaze dropped. Finally he lifted his eyes and said firmly, barely concealing the tremor in his voice, "Whatever the cost."


	3. A Fresh Start

A Fresh Start

"Whatever the cost."

Up in Falcon's Nest the tension was building. The Robinson family were looking at Captain Montrose with horror, not able to comprehend what he was saying.

Montrose smiled, secretly pleased with this honest answer.

"You will be glad to hear that this is not required. As far as I can see you had little choice in the matter. You were young and impressionable, and took one of the few chances that were available at the time. Seeing as you had only a few, minor crimes, and have already received punishment for many of them, I am disinclined to bring you in front of a jury. Your have redeemed yourself with your actions, and the fact you willingly handed yourself over to my custody will not go unnoticed. I see no problem with you remaining here with your family. I suggest you make the best of this opportunity, a fresh start."

Jacob relaxed, his burden of lessened considerably. However, there was still the threat of more awkward questioning in the future, without the calm impartiality of the man in front of him.

"What happened to Captain Quirk, by the way? The previous captain of the Albatross?" Captain Montrose added as an afterthought.

"I think you know the answer, sir," Jake replied sheepishly, not wanting to worry his parents more. This was enough of an answer for Montrose, who had already guessed the fate of the man who had first crossed Blunt and his men.

"I have taken the liberty of asking our resident Ship's Doctor, Dr Harding, to take a look at Jacob later. He has assured me that Fritz will have no further problems with his injury. Incidentally, I have a boon to ask of you, Pastor," continued Captain Montrose, in a lighter tone. "Emily has told me many great things of your eldest son. If you would allow it, I would be delighted if I could make myself better acquainted with young Fritz, but sadly need to return to my ship. Would it be possible for him to accompany us on the Resolution until tomorrow?"

"Of course, Captain."

And with this the group broke away, Fritz, Emily and her father heading towards one of the launches, and Lara and David deep in conversation. Jacob was left standing rather unsure of his position, painfully aware of the glares from Montrose's crew. Sarah, still slightly tearful, took control and grabbed hold of his arm, dragging him along with her and Fritz to the lagoon.

At first Sarah was the main contributor to the rather patchy conversation, with occasional comments from the others. Ernst himself was still giving his younger brother curious stares, trying to be discreet while Sarah chattered away about anything and everything that came into her head. Jake returned this by self-consciously forcing himself not to slip back into his colloquial ways, assuming Ernst was still preoccupied with his disability with words.

Lara slowly made her way to the lagoon, having finished all of the chores that demanded her attention. She heard Sarah's bright laughter before she could see the pool, smiling to herself; Sarah was such an easygoing child, she had made a large effort to bring Jacob back into the family.

As she came around the corner, she saw Ernst sitting beneath a tree, reading as usual, occasionally laughing at Sarah's peculiar comments. Sarah was swimming in the water, talking at Jacob, who was lingering at the edge, his legs dipped in the water. She seemed to be trying to persuade her brother to join her, and by the sound of it, she was succeeding. Again.

As she watched from a distance, Jake was finally convinced by a splash from Sarah that had him completely shocked. Shrugging off his sopping shirt, he slipped into the water and began to pursue her.

A frown creased her brow as she saw the visual effects of his time on the pirate ship. She could see faint lines covering his back, and his slimness nearly made her sick with worry, not to mention the more prominent red and purple bruises scattering his abdomen. Breaking up her children's animated scuffle, she told Jacob that Dr Harding was looking for him. Smiling briefly at Ernst, she set off with a thoughtful air.

The family were sitting down to a late lunch, without Fritz and Emily, who were still on the Resolution. Jacob was sitting next to Sarah, his ribs smarting from the overly-rough prodding the Doctor had seen fit to administer. As Jacob had guessed, one rib was cracked and they were all thoroughly bruised. However, he had declined the Harding's offer to bind them, feeling this would most probably do more harm than good, especially as the man did not seem to believe in taking care. At least, not with the painful ribs of a certain ex-pirate.

Conversation was slow to start, with Sarah being the main contributor, as usual. She, Ernst and their father were in an animated discussion on possibilities for turning Robinson's Island into a trading point, with Lara listening in, content in the knowledge that they could do anything they wanted now. And they had Jacob back. She looked distractedly towards her son, noticing that he hadn't eaten, merely pushing his food around the plate, seemingly absorbed in his own musings.

"Jacob?"

Jacob looked up as his mother entered the bedroom he currently shared with his brothers. He was at present alone and reflecting on the new situation he found himself in, so his mothers' sudden appearance startled him slightly.

"Are you alright?"

Jacob nods almost shyly. He was afraid of what might be said next and so waited for Lara to instigate the conversation.

"I... noticed you did not eat very much at dinner. Did you like the stew?"

"I'm sorry. It was delicious. I, um, just wasn't very hungry, Mother."

"I was afraid you didn't like it. It used to be your favourite." She replied softly, sitting down on the bed beside her son.

Jacob hesitated a moment then almost smiled as a deeply buried memory came to the fore. "I remember."

"Really?" Lara seemed surprised, but delighted.

Jacob nodded. "We used have it on Saturday, around the table in the kitchen." His eyes brightened at the fond memory.

"You always ate so much then. At least one potato more than a pig!" Lara laughed, touching Jacob's shoulder gently as he briefly laughed along with her. She felt him stiffen at the brief contact, then relax slightly. She felt a wave of sorrow for the uncomfortable boy in front of her, so awkward around the people who actually cared for him, wanting to cradle him to her.

"Why weren't you hungry?" she persisted, "I haven't seen you eating much lately, and you look half starved!"

"I haven't had a lot of time recently, I guess, but I don't eat that much normally anyway."

"Why not? Didn't they feed you on that ship?"

"No, nothing like that!"

"Then why not?" Lara knew Jake's reluctance to talk about his past, but considered this too important an issue to ignore, and pressed on.

"Well, the supplies were a bit low, we hadn't had time to get more, so…I was cutting down, I guess. Food's scarce, even on pirate ships. I just got used to not eating a lot."

"Well, there's no problem with that here, so… promise me you'll eat something later, alright? When you're hungry." Lara was still unsatisfied, knowing Jacob was hiding something from her, but that would have to do for now.

"Ok, I will. I promise."

"Good. Sarah's looking for you, by the way. She's becoming quite attached to you, just like when you were children," again Jacob noticed a flicker of nostalgia cross his mother's face, thinking of the young boy she knew.

Sarah and Jacob were once again at work on the house, repairing the damage from the fire. She was still continuously asking him about life on a pirate ship, despite his numerous attempts to distract her. Apparently, his mother wasn't the only one to observe his lack of appetite at lunch.

"When did you last eat?"

"Um…what day is it today?"

"Friday," she replied, already worried by this response.

"Then… Tuesday. I think." His sister's appalled expression prompted him to add, "It's alright; I don't eat a lot."

"Why ever not?" she asked, incredulous.

Jake hesitated at this, unsure of whether to tell his little sister. But, he reasoned, she had willingly told him anything he asked her, and he was beginning to feel that he could tell her anything and she wouldn't react too badly.

"Well, in the beginning it was a bit complicated with the crew. Blunt posed as a trader 'til he had collected enough supplies and local knowledge, so the food was a bit short. Then, it was difficult as I wasn't actually working on the ship, just living there. The crew weren't too keen on me being there, seeing me as an extra worth who wasn't contributing anything. Then, when I was older, and working my passage, it was different, but by then I had just got used to not eating often. It got a bit hectic at times, when we were being chased, or… raiding or something. I didn't eat regular meals or anything, it was too difficult to fit them around working, and avoiding Pickles, and trying to shake off the Navy." Jake finished, hesitantly.

Sarah was about to answer indignantly, but stopped herself. She suspected he was feeling guilty about the pirates' actions, and was unwilling to take even more from them.

"Well, we better make a few changes, then. Come on," and with that she once again grabbed hold of his arm, taking charge and pulling him further down the beach, after picking up some pieces of fruit from the kitchen on the way. They spent the rest of the evening contentedly sharing stories of their experiences, Sarah succeeding in distracting him so much that he began to loosen up, eating some fruit and telling a few adventures of his own.


	4. Nightmares and Celebrations Part 1

Nightmares and Celebrations

Ernst awoke with a start, momentarily confused by strange noises. As his senses adapted to he night, he realised the sounds were coming from the bunk below, a mixture of thrashing and murmuring that were beginning to worry him. Then he remembered; while Fritz was on the Resolution, becoming better acquainted with Emily's father, he was sharing the room with Jacob, until the work on the extension had been completed, and the new bedroom was ready. Jake must be having a nightmare, and as far as he could tell, it was a pretty bad one. Unsure of what to do, Ernst lay there listening to his brother's incoherent muttering, knowing he shouldn't, but at the same time curious as to the cause of the dream. However, this plan was cut short, as he heard Jake sit up suddenly, finally spared from his hallucinations, whatever they were. Ernst feigned sleep, hearing his brother's breathing calm, and slight movements from below as Jake got up, and quickly, but no less silently, leave the room. Looking out of the un-shuttered window, he saw that the moon was still high in the sky; it couldn't be more than 3 in the morning. Sighing, he turned over and drifted off to sleep once more.

When Ernst went downstairs, at a much more reasonable hour, it was to see a line of light foot prints, leading up along the beach to Jacob, deep in thought. The rest of his family were already up and about, so he went down to offer his help with preparing breakfast.

"How did you sleep, Ernst?" asked his Mother, conversationally.

"Better than some," he replied, with a brief nod to his brother.

"What do you mean?" Lara asked, once again anxious about her youngest son.

"It seems that although he may have escaped the ship, its effects were still plaguing him, even in his sleep. I heard him thrashing about last night; he got up in the early hours of the morning, and by the looks of it he's been there ever since."

"Maybe I should go talk to him about it… though I don't think he's too comfortable talking to me about the ship," his mother said, thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him," Sarah said, joining in the conversation halfway through. "I was going to go to the lagoon anyway; maybe he'll want to come."

And with that she headed off.

"Good morning, though not apparently for you. Not had a good night?"

"What?"

"Ernst said you got up at stupid-o'clock this morning."

"Oh," Jacob replied, bashfully. "Yeah… did I wake Ernst?"

"Only for a bit. He could sleep through a hurricane, trust me. I was going to the lagoon, want to join me?"

David and Lara sat at the kitchen table, looking out over their bay, the Resolution off in the distance, watching Ernst talk animatedly to the young man known as Dartmouth. Lara couldn't remember a more peaceful time than this.

"How's Jacob?" David asked, breaking into her reverie. He had been reluctant to talk about the incident with Blunt, so Lara was not suspecting this question.

"I think he'll be fine. Sarah's helping a lot. He's still having trouble talking about…what happened. But I really think he's opening up to her."

"He was up early, I noticed."

"Ernst said he had a bad dream," Lara answered, then suddenly burst out with "I worry about him. Did you notice him not eating? And he was covered in bruises! I dread to think what kind of things he endured among those men."

"Well, he's safe, that's all that matters for now. We have our son back. He will tell us, when he's ready," David replied soothingly, equally concerned about their son, but not wanting to startle Lara any more.

"I was thinking," he said, in an effort to distract her, "we should have a party tonight. We haven't properly celebrated, and there's so much we have to be thankful for: Jacob's safe return, the kindness of Captain Montrose, the new trading post… not to mention Emily and Fritz's engagement!"

"That's a wonderful idea," Lara replied, beaming. And so the preparations began.

(On the Resolution)

Fritz was on deck, staring wistfully towards Safety cove. Emily joined him by the railings, smiling at her father, who was standing a bit away from them, just out of hearing.

"Homesick already?" she asked, teasing her new fiancé.

"No! It's just strange, seeing it from here."

"I know what you mean," she replied. After taking in his brooding features, she said "He likes you, you know?"

"Do you think so?" Fritz asked, unable to hide his anxiety at setting a good impression with Captain Montrose.

"Definitely. And who wouldn't?" she answered, drawing him towards her.

"Come on, you two love-birds, we should be taking you back before your parents start to worry, Fritz," Montrose interrupted, with a knowing smile.

"See?" Emily said, as they made their way to the launch, pleased that the two people closest to her were getting on so well.

The Robinson's were gathering for breakfast. Fritz and Emily had arrived safely, but Captain Montrose and Lieutenant Dartmouth had to return to the ship once more, politely declining Lara's offer to join them for the meal. Sarah and Jacob came into view as the last items were being set on the table. Lara was pleased to see that they were talking enthusiastically, Jacob clearly put at ease after airing some of his troubles to his sister.

Everyone took their seats, Sarah in-between Jacob and Ernst, Fritz opposite them, next to a nervous Emily who was glancing warily at the ex-pirate. The two elder brothers and their father quickly engaged in conversation about the new trading post, with Emily listening interestedly. After a few minutes of listening to their rather tedious conversation, Sarah, used to being ignored by her elder brothers, resumed her interrogation of Jacob instead.

"Do you miss the Albatross then?"

The conversation at the other end of the table dropped suddenly, unperturbed by the silence. Jacob, trying to follow her lead, avoided looking at his other family member's and instead focused on Sarah.

"A bit. Certain things, like the crows nest. It was so peaceful being on the skeleton crew, up there at the crack of dawn with nothing but blue on all sides."

Sarah listened avidly, envious of her brother's experiences of the world.

"And I'll miss some of the crew-"

"Are you serious?" Fritz interjected, unable to contain his confusion. "They were criminals!"

Jake was indignant; "Not all of them, some of them were good men. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and now they're gonna have to pay for Blunt's mistake."

Sarah glared briefly at Fritz, then asked gently, "What do you think will happen to them now? When Pickles gets captured?"

"They won't get caught. They would have run away before then." Seeing their confused looks, he continued. "Pickles won't make a good Captain. Blunt was… cruel, in many ways, but he cared about the Albatross, and its crew. He kept us alive. Pickles… he isn't too bright. Few of the men would stay with him in command.

"I wanted to ask you about your native friend. What is his name again?"

"Nama titi" Sarah supplied.

"How often does he visit?"

"It depends; it varies from every few days to every couple of weeks. Why?"

"I need to talk to him. Make peace, as it were. Oh, I've been meaning to give you this, Mother," he said, taking an object out of his pocket and laying it on the table in front of her.

"Where did you find this?" She said in shock, running the chain through her fingers and cradling the familiar necklace.

"We captured Nama titi in a native village, a few days before we arrived here-"

"You mean you kidnapped him, just like you did with me!" interrupted Emily, with disgust.

Jacob was visibly stunned by this unhidden hostility, but carried on, calmly. "Yes. We did. He's alright though-"

"No thanks to you!" Emily cried, with venom in her voice.

Jacob took a deep breath, willing himself not to give into his anger that was already rising rapidly. _I'm not on the Albatross anymore. I've got to deal with this with words, not violence, _he reminded himself, though this would prove quite difficult if Emily persisted with the same amount of palpable aggression.

"I'm not proud of what I did. I'm trying to make amends for my actions now, though I know he has every right not to forgive me. As do you."

"If you're feeling so repentant, why did you kidnap me in the first place?"

Jacob sighed. This was going to be a long, uphill battle. "I've already said, I wasn't there when Blunt kidnapped you." Seeing that Emily was about to protest again, he quickly carried on, "-but I guess he wanted you as a bargaining chip. No one had ever chased us for as long as your father did, we always managed to shake any pursuers off. I think Blunt was starting to panic, and thought that kidnapping you would help."

Lara was still transfixed by the sight of her necklace, only slightly aware of the argument going on around her. Besides, it was time they talked this over like adults, and both seemed more than able to discuss this.

"He hurt my father!" Emily cried, tears of anger gathering. "And how could you be so cold and indifferent to your own _family?_"

Jacob was taken aback, he hadn't expected such an emotional response. He glanced towards his family, at a loss, but they were tactfully feigning interest in almost everything except Jacob and Emily. That is, all except for Sarah.

"Emily! He's already explained about that! He didn't want us killed! And besides, how would you feel if you had been stuck on that ship searching everywhere for your family for seven years, just to find them-"

"Sarah!" Jacob snapped, unable to hold back any longer.

Sarah clapped a hand to her mouth, horrified at what she had been about to say. The rest of the family looked on in fascination, their interest caught by this near revelation.

"I'm so sorry! I just got carried away!"

"Don't worry," he said softly, in control once more. In a louder voice he continued;

"This is getting us nowhere. Look, Emily. I'm sorry but I can only apologise for my own actions. I can't change anything that happened, much as I might desperately want to."

Emily still appeared unsatisfied with this response, but remained silent, her irrational anger towards Jacob unchanged.

Lara, apparently unaware of the near confrontation going on in front of her, asked quietly, "How did you get this?"

"Roberts found it on Nama titi's altar. He showed it to Blunt, Blunt recognised it and headed to the island, after seeing a map on the cave wall. I knew it was yours, so… I stole it off of Blunt," he finished, ashamedly, trying to gauge his mother's reaction to his criminal activities.

"You pick pocketed it off _Blunt_?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, he isn't-," here Jacob took another steadying breath, continuing determinedly, "_wasn't _very observant. I thought Nama titi should have it back, but it was yours, so I wanted to check."

"It belongs to Nama titi now," Lara replied, handing the necklace back to Jacob. She hadn't missed the distress caused by the slip in his speech, but chose to ignore it. "I think it's a good idea to return it to him, next time he visits. I'm sure he would appreciate it."


	5. Nightmares and Celebrations Part 2

Nightmares and Celebrations- Part 2

"Jacob! Jacob!"

Jacob looked up, searching for the source of the cries and smiled as Sarah came hurrying into view.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Completely the opposite in fact! Nama titi's arrived, come on!"

And with that she turned, breaking into a semi-run, delighted at the reappearance of her old friend.

Jacob followed more sedately, and came upon Nama titi, surrounded by most of his family who were greeting him warmly. Upon seeing the boy, Nama titi stiffened, wary of this new acquaintance.

"Sa wat dee krhap, khoon naay," Jacob said respectfully, stunning his family members into silence.

Nama titi gave a short nod, no less shocked at this new development than the Robinsons.

Lara was the first to recover, smiling briefly at the native, then saying "We'll leave you to talk then, Jacob, Nama titi." She turned to leave, shepherding a stunned Sarah and Ernst before her.

"Well! He didn't tell me about that!" Sarah exclaimed when they were safely out of earshot.

"Think of the possibilities! We can finally communicate with Nama titi!" Ernst replied, immediately seeing the potential. "But how on earth did he learn Nama titi's language?" he asked, perplexed, glancing towards the pair who were deep in conversation, still unsure of each other.

"Think about it Ernst. Just because he can't read doesn't mean he didn't learn other things," Fritz answered, logical as ever.

Just then, David and Montrose strolled into view. The two men seemed glad of the company, already familiar with each other and making plans for Tradesman's cove.

"Where's Jacob?" David asked, "apparently there are a few more things that need to be discussed before William can set off in search of the Albatross."

He followed his family's stunned gazes, and took in the sight of his son and Nama titi, now seated on the beach, some distance away.

"Now there's a thing I didn't expect to see!" David said, in awe.

"I think I'll wait 'til they've finished," Montrose said, then noticing David's questioning look, added reassuringly "it can wait 'til later."

Jacob made to get up, smiling openly at his new ally. Nama titi followed his lead, the necklace now safely around his neck.

"Laa gaawn, Nama titi," he said as they parted, placing his left hand on his right shoulder in farewell.

"Soh laa, Jacob" Nama titi replied, making his way over to David and Lara.

Sarah ambushed Jacob as he entered the kitchen, "You speak Native?!" she exclaimed.

"Thai, Nama titi's language is a slight variation, but he understood me," he answered, preparing himself for the numerous questions he was coming to expect in Sarah's company.

"How?!"

Jake was confused himself, now. "Most of the men were Natives… how did you think we communicated?"

At this Sarah stopped, mulling this over. Montrose took the opportunity in her momentary silence;

"Jacob, I needed to talk to you. We need some help identifying some bodies."

Jake was speechless; he had forgotten about the pirates killed in the battle.

"And afterwards I'll need your opinion on the situation with Mr Pickles. Come with me please."

Doctor Harding pulled back a white sheet, uncovering the bloody remains of a pirate. He then looked questioningly at Jacob, pen ready. Montrose was standing a few metres away, scrutinising the boy's reaction. This was the ninth body so far, and the nicest to look at.

He swallowed. "That's Monitho," he said, his voice shaking. "He taught me Thai."

"Second name?" Doctor Harding pressed.

Jake shook his head and turned away, unable to speak. Looking around the tent, littered with white-covered shapes, his eyes fell upon the object lying furthest from the entrance. The last of the bodies. He slowly made his way towards it.

"Is that…" his unfinished question was answered as Montrose stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

"It's Blunt, isn't it? Can I see him?" Montrose was worried by Jake's slow, dazed question.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he said quickly, not wanting to cause further sorrow to the young man, and cursing himself for not waiting until later; Jacob was clearly finding this difficult, and Montrose chided himself for this little experiment.

"Please?" This time Jacob spoke with clarity, and Montrose was reluctant to refuse him a last look at the man who had been so close to Jacob.

Jake walked forward, not wanting to look upon that face again, but unable to stop himself.

He pulled back the cover of the last bed. He stood transfixed, rocking slightly, then abruptly dropped the cloth, and hurried out of the tent.

Montrose shared a worried glance with Doctor Harding, then rushed after him. Looking around, he saw Jacob, some distance along the beach, pacing agitatedly back and forth.

"Captain Montrose!"

He turned to see an indignant Lara storming towards him.

"Lara, I'm sorry, I should have waited," he babbled wretchedly. "I shouldn't have asked him to witness that. Not again."

Lara took in the scene, immediately guessing the problem, and rightfully angry at Montrose's despicable behaviour. However, before she could decide whether to yell at Montrose or comfort her son, she heard him say, his voice still shaking;

"Captain Montrose. You wanted to ask me about Pickles."

Montrose, about to apologise, was cut off by Jacob.

"Please," he said, his eyes shut. "What did you want to know?"

Montrose was slightly irritated by Jacob's authoritative attitude, but knew he was more than entitled to it.

"Tomorrow we start the search again. Do you have any information on where he might go?"

"Port William. He'll be there within a week, twelve days at most. He'll be taking the long route there, keeping land between him and you. He'll double back a few miles down from Port William, and then travel the remainder on foot. You have a week at least."

After this abrupt statement, Jacob headed off into the jungle, without looking back. Montrose was curious and about to question Jake's certainty, but held back, letting the boy leave.

Lara was busy making preparations for the celebration later that night, and had enlisted the help of Ernst and Sarah. The former glad to lend a hand, the latter annoyed that she hadn't been able to follow Jacob in time.

Between them, with occasional help from Fritz and David, they made more than enough food to feed everyone, and set about garnishing their simple home with wild flowers and vines.

Fritz kept looking around while he worked, perplexed; he hadn't seen Emily since the incident at breakfast.

Jacob stood alone in the quietest part of the jungle he could find. He still had a vantage point to Falcon's Nest and the activity there of his family, but he didn't feel a part of it.

How could they know what he was feeling right now? Those men had just been pirates to them, but to him, many had been friends. Many had been there to help show him how to survive. And now, they were gone. And worst of all, the man he had come to look on as his protector was gone also. He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't see Emily until she was right on top of him.

As he moved, she gasped and stood up, backing away from him deliberately, as if she thought he might at any moment snatch her away from her father and new boyfriend.

"Wait, wait. I'm not going to hurt you," Jacob placated her, holding out his hands in a non-threatening gesture.

The girl sank back down onto the rock next to a stream where she had been seated, mesmerized by the view stretched out in front of her.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

When she failed to respond with anything more than a distrusting look, he continued.

"It's so peaceful. A haven, oblivious to the rest of the world passing it by."

"What do you want?" She said tersely.

"I wanted to apologise again for what happened to you. It was despicable behaviour."

"Yes! It was!"

Jake walked forward carefully, trying to ignore Emily's defensive stance, and sat down near the bank of the river, far enough away so as to pose no threat. He stared vacantly at the river, unsure of how to continue, so decided to wait for Emily to say something instead. Unconsciously he picked out some lengths of grass and began weaving them together into an intricate rope, while he waited for a response.

Finally, Emily sighed irritably;

"I'm sorry."

Jake was shocked by this, and thought carefully before replying, twining the strands of grass together.

"No, you have every right to question my actions. I completely understand why you were so angry at me."

Emily frowned. "Yes, I _was _treated atrociously...but it wasn't your doing. You weren't even there, for goodness sake! I just-" Emily halted for a moment, "I was just looking for someone to blame. And that doesn't justify what I said to you. Nothing does.

"At some level I'll always think of you as a pirate And no matter what you do, or how much I disagree with that, I think I'll always associate you with that. I can't change it, but I can stop treating you so badly. You've been so kind, and Sarah trusts you completely. You just better make sure you don't hurt her." She finished her reluctant admission with a look of determination on her face.

Jacob smiled, finally understanding some of the reasons for her actions; she missed her friend. She was worried that Jakes motives were insincere, and he would somehow betray Sarah's unquestioning trust in him. This, he could relate to.

"Don't worry. I would never do anything like that! She was the one I missed most, over the years. Ernst and Fritz always used to go off together when we were young, so we were always pretty close. I missed being able to talk to her about everything."

Emily smiled knowingly. She had made the same connection with Sarah when she first arrived on the island; the girl's easy-going nature made her a solid friend and confidant.

At last, the two had found some common ground. They sat in contemplative silence, already more comfortable in each other's presence.

David came out of the white tent on the beach, his insides churning. Lara had called him in to find out exactly what had happened, and he was appalled at

Montrose's disregard of the effects such carnage could cause.

His eyes drifted to his beloved home, now deserted except from the solitary figure of Jacob, sitting at the kitchen table. He could hardly imagine how his youngest son felt after witnessing that, and to be frank, he didn't really know his son at all anymore. David had been having trouble talking to the boy, who seemed to be avoiding him, so took the chance and quickly walked over to the kitchen.

"Hello Jacob," David said.

Jake looked up sharply, his ruminations disturbed. "Um, hello father. I'm sorry."

He sat up straighter in his seat as David sat down opposite.

Jacob was avoiding eye contact and David was momentarily at a loss for why, until he hit upon the reason; Jacob remembered him as the authoritarian and disciplinarian of the family who had to be obeyed at all times. He could not understand yet that David was not that man any more- The whole incident with the venomous snake and Nama titi saving Lara's life had thought him a vital lesson which had softened his outlook on the world.

"Are you alright?" David asked softly.

Jacob nodded. "Yes sir." He seemed lost for what else to say.

"Jacob."

The boy glanced up then away, skittishly.

"Jacob, look at me."

The look this time was less fleeting and David saw raw pain in those eyes. "Jacob, there is something you need to know."

A flicker of fear, perhaps? "Thomas was absolved his sins. He squeezed my hand the moment before he passed - he has gone to the better place, son."

David saw the fear vanish and the pain lessen. Instead, the young yet intolerably old eyes of his son welled slightly with tears and an intensely grateful look.

"He's free now, in the only way he ever could be." Jacob said quietly and with a small but genuine smile.

David regarded his son, whose eyes were moist but who refused to cry.

"Do...do you really think that?" Jacob asked, barely holding the emotion in his voice at bay.

"I do. But what's important now is you."

Jake swallowed.

"There are things which happen that change a person. I'm sure you know this, right?"

Jacob nodded with a vaguely curious expression. David continued.

"Did you know that we very nearly lost your mother a while back?"

Jacob looked concerned, and leaned forward. "I...I didn't-"

"How could you have?" David smiled. "As you can see, she came through her ordeal. And it was thanks to Nama titi."

Jacob almost smiled and looked relieved.

"And it made me rethink my way of dealing with people. Had I stuck to my way, she would have gone to God."

With that David rose from the table, clapping his son briefly on the back. Jake had a lot to think about.


	6. The Party

The Party

Night was falling on Robinson's Island, but Falcon's Nest was as light as ever, now adorned with torches and wild plants. The celebrations were well under way, and Navy men were swarming over the balconies, the Robinson's circulating among them.

Jacob was watching from the sidelines, the bright lights and cheerful voices putting him strangely in mind of a rather different occasion not so long back, which was far less carefree. He banished the thought; this was his home now. Blunt couldn't control him anymore.

Spotting Sarah seated on the upper balcony, he headed towards her, trying to take no notice of the dark looks that followed him. He smiled, sitting down with Sarah and Emily, while Fritz went to get refills. 

"How's it going?" Sarah asked distractedly, her gaze fixed on the young man he knew as Dartmouth.

"Fine," he answered with an enquiring look at Emily, who merely smiled knowingly and looked away.

"You should talk to him."

"What?" she asked, preoccupied. Jake suppressed a smile; sometimes Sarah could be so unwittingly transparent.

"Nothing."

Jacob sighed and looked around, noticing the many suspicious glances he was receiving in the present company. He caught the eye of an older navy man as he was passing by their small group, a man he had registered as a hardy sailor who nurtured a deep hatred for anything piratical.

"Got a problem, pirate scum?" The man hissed.

Jake looked away quickly, avoiding his look of pure loathing.

Sarah, briefly distracted from her observations, turned her attention back to their conversation.

"What's his problem?"

"Umm…"

His lack of reply made Sarah even more suspicious.

"Jacob!"

He reluctantly replied, "I think I might have… kicked him in the head, a bit."

"A bit?! Jacob, no wonder! When did you do that?"

"When we raided the Resolution." She noticed her brother looking more and more uncomfortable under the guarded stares. "Look, I'm going to go for a walk, I need to clear my head."

As Sarah and Emily watched Jacob head off into the jungle, they failed to notice two men peeling off from the group of sailors and follow him.

Jake was making his way through the jungle, heading in the vague direction of the lagoon; it was the only place he knew how to get to in the dark.

He stopped, suddenly aware of noises of breaking twigs and the scuff of boots on leaves behind him. Quickening his pace, he broke through the last of the trees into…a clearing, blocked by a steep cliff wall. Apparently he didn't even know how to get to the lagoon by himself. He was beginning to feel like wondering into a dark and unknown jungle alone was a bad idea.

He turned abruptly as the noises got closer and closer, cursing himself for not thinking of bringing any kind of weapon, a precaution which Blunt had drilled into him for the last seven years.

"Well, well, well, Jenkins. What do we have here?" The voice was answered by a second as the man from the party stepped out of the shadow of the trees.

"I don't know Mason. Looks to me like a pirate alone in the jungle at night. Planning something? Perhaps running back to your treacherous kind?"

Jake didn't bother to reply, feeling the usual rush of adrenaline that came before a fight. There were two of them against one. He was cornered, and they had the big advantage of strength in their favour. Ah well, he'd survived worse before now.

"I believe I owe you a kicking."

"Don't trouble yourself; I think I can manage without it."

An unpleasant grin spread across Jenkins's face. "Oh he speaks. Not so innocent when you're not around the captain, eh? I knew it was all a pretence; you're just a good-for-nothing pirate."

Jake stepped back as the second man rushed at him, forgetting that their was a solid wall behind him, his back crashing painfully against it as the man tripped in front of him.

Not quick enough, he felt the first man's fist slam into his face and tasted blood.

He slowly turned back, grabbing Jenkins's arm as it skimmed the side of his face and slammed into the rock, twisting it painfully behind the man's back as he cried out in frustration. He turned to face his companion, keeping Jenkins in front of him. He thought quickly; he couldn't hold them both off for long, and if he hurt them too much he'd surely get into trouble back at the house. He glanced quickly at the stars, searching for the North Star; the house was in that direction, he was pretty certain of that, but even if it wasn't, north was as good a direction as any at the present. He slowly backed away as the second man advanced.

He Giving his captive's arm an extra twist for good measure, he pushed him sideways forcefully, just as the other man made to charge him again. He twisted out of the way, tripping Mason and sending him flying.

As Jenkins got slowly to his feet, he turned to see his friend groaning on the floor, and a flash of white as their victim took off back into the forest.

Jacob slowed down as he reached the edge of the trees, a little way down the beach from Falcon's Nest. He bent over, panting after his escape, and wiped his hand across his mouth. The blood shimmered in the light from the night sky, but he would just have to hope nobody noticed. Composing himself, he headed back to the fire as nonchalantly as he could while desperate to hurry back to the safety of the campfire. These were turning out to be a very eventful few days.

His ruffled appearance drew even more attention, but before any awkward questions were aired another distraction came as the two men crashed out of the jungle, bickering between themselves.

Montrose looked up, and then barked "Jenkins, Mason. What are you up to?"

"Nothing, Captain," Jenkins replied, with a sideways glare at his young adversary that Montrose did not fail to notice.

Looking between the three men he took in Jake's bloody mouth and arm, the way Jenkins was cradling his right arm, the bloody knuckles and the tear in the knee of Mason's trousers.

"Alright, you three. What's been going on?" He said with a sigh, already constructing a pretty good idea of the fight in his head, infuriated by his men's actions. He felt guilty about his previous actions in the tent, and this was the last straw. "I told you that Jacob was off limits, yet you deliberately disobey me and single him out!"

The audience had gone quiet, curious about what had happened in the jungle.

"It's alright Captain Montrose," Jake said quietly, all too aware how a situation like this could deteriorate; he'd had enough punching for tonight. "It was partly my fault. I provoked Jenkins."

Captain Montrose did not completely believe this statement, but decided to let the subject drop. They would have to sort it out between themselves eventually.

"Fine. You two, go enjoy what's left of the celebrations." Jenkins and Mason left away, fuming, yet not wanting to anger their captain any further.

Montrose watched their departing backs. "I don't think any more midnight wonders would be a good idea Jacob," he remarked, turning back to the Robinson family, who had now gathered around the campfire, drawn by the excitement.

"As you're all here now, I have an announcement to make. Following my conversation with Jacob earlier, we are setting off to Port William. I know you have been separated from civilisation for a long time, so would like to invite you all with us. Port William isn't much, but I think you might like to see it. And don't worry; some of my men will be remaining on the island. They will look after your home until you return, with strict orders from both of us.

"I'll leave you to discuss my proposal. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to," Montrose finished, and set off after his two men, with a determined air.

"Can we go, Father?" Sarah burst out.

"I'm not sure. How far away is Port William?"

"3 days good sailing," Jake said, pausing from examining his jaw.

"Then we would be away for at least a week," he said slowly, looking towards the matriarch of the family.

"Montrose's men can look after the island, David. What could happen in a week?"

David only replied with a wry grin; he had found out just how much could happen in a short amount of time.

"A week?!" Sarah said indignantly, "but then we would only have a day at most!"

"We can spare a bit more," Lara said coaxingly to her husband.

David paused thoughtfully. They hadn't been off the island in seven years. And they would need provisions to start planning the wedding, after all. But he was still reluctant to leave his home, a place they had built from nothing, for any longer than he needed to.

"Are you sure it only takes 3 days to get there?" he asked his youngest son, trying to decide whether they could spare so much time.

"Well…" Jake paused in thought, "the Resolution is a bit slower than the Albatross, and the Albatross could normally make it in just over two."

He looked up, examining the clear sky, then continued. "The weather looks like it will hold, so we should get there in no more than three and a half days. I don't know how long the return journey will take, but it isn't the stormy season, so hopefully it will be the same."

David looked at the longing eyes of his children, and sighed.

"Alright; we'll go."

Sarah through her arms around his neck, squealing with delight while David laughed at her outburst and the rest of the family looked on, delighted

So it was decided; The Robinson's were going to Port William.


	7. Port William

Port William

The Robinson family made their way down off of the ship and on to the docks. Sarah, upon setting foot onto solid land again after her time on the ship, stumbled, unused to the lack of movement.

Jake grabbed her before she fell, then set her lightly on her feet, smiling and looking around with shining eyes.

"Thanks," Sarah said gratefully. "So this is Port William?" she said, looking around her.

They had arrived as dusk was setting in, and she took in the dreary buildings, the bustling crowd oblivious to the late hour. The air smelt foul, a mixture of fish, rotten fruit and decay, which the brisk sea breeze failed to get rid of. She wasn't very impressed.

Jake however merely laughed at her disgust, drawing incredulous looks from his brothers, and looking around him wide eyed.

"It's just like I remember," he said to himself, as they walked as a group along the water's edge. "Look! Even the shopkeepers are the same…this is so strange."

Montrose made his way to the head of the group, accompanied by a few of his men.

"Alright, as it is so late, we are going to stay in a safe house belonging to the British Navy for tonight. I will need to alert my superiors of the situation with Pickles, and then I can take you all to my house further inland for the next few days.

"We'll go to the nearest official Navy post and get some carriages to take us to our destination. Follow me."

He set off, followed by Lara, David, Ernst and Fritz. Emily and Sarah walked next to each other, marvelling at their surroundings, with Jake not far behind, completely unaware of the other two men behind him.

As the group was passing through a busy marketplace, the two men suddenly cut in front of Jacob, blocking his way as the others carried on, oblivious. Jacob looked confused as he registered the Navy uniforms, then realization dawned as the men turned to face him.

"Not again," he sighed to himself as Jenkins and Mason slowly walked towards him.

"Yes, again. And this time you're not getting away," Mason sneered. Now a crowd had blocked Jacob's view from his family, and Jenkins suddenly appeared behind him, pinning his arms and giving a vehement twist as payback.

However Jacob's attention was distracted from this as Mason slammed a fist into his stomach, making him double over with the sharp pain from his protesting rib.

Jenkins released his arms, jeering as Jake fell to his knees, clutching his side.

"See ya!" he quipped, heading quickly off after the rest of the group.

As Jake slowly began to get to his feet, he heard a cry and looked up as Sarah and Emily ran over to him, and pulled him to his feet.

"Jake! What happened? We saw you on the floor, are you ok?" Sarah asked, as Emily looked around her, preoccupied.

"Yeah, I just got knocked over. I'll be fine."

As Sarah began to fuss over her brother, ignoring his attempts to swat her hands away, Emily interrupted them.

"Where are the others?"

"What?" Sarah said, ceasing her attack on her brother and looking around worriedly.

"I can't see them!" Emily cried.

"Oh no…this isn't good. Mother and Father aren't going to let me out of the house now!" Sarah looked about her in horror at the thought. "We have to find them!"

"No! We should stay here, Father will come looking for me, I know it!" Emily said, shivering in the cold night air.

"Do you know where we are?" Jake retorted. "We're right on the edge of the Slums! We do not want to hang around here!"

"He's right," Sarah cut in, as Emily was about to protest. "I don't think that the others will notice that we've gone for a while. They won't know where we are."

"Father must notice! Or Fritz!" Emily was getting more and more distraught at the prospect of being abandoned, again, in an alien place. "What about the men behind us? They must have noticed!" She said triumphantly.

"I doubt that very much Emily," Jake said, to a quizzical stare from his sister.

The trio stood at a loss, being buffeted by the many passers by. However, the number of people in the square was gradually decreasing as the sky darkened, and Jacob was getting seriously worried. He knew what kind of people lived in this area, and what they did to strangers who strayed into their territory after nightfall.

"Look, we need to decide what to do. We can't stay here; it's not safe for two young ladies."

Emily turned to him, panic-stricken. "Do you have anything with you? A knife, or, or a weapon or anything?"

"We came on a Navy ship. I'm an ex-pirate. I don't think that would have gone down too well!" Jacob took a deep breath, trying to decide on the best plan of action. "Sarah, give me your knife."

Emily, bewildered, looked at Sarah. "You have a knife?"

"No! I don't."

Jacob looked at her, not believing her for a second. "Sarah, I saw you pack it. Hand it over."

"Fine," she said, reluctantly handing a sheathed blade over. Jacob tucked it into his belt, pulling his shirt down to hide it.

"Now, as to money, I do in fact have some somewhere. Give me a second," he said, checking his pockets.

"Wait…"

"What is it?" Sarah questioned, not liking the sound of her brother's comment.

"It's gone." Jacob looked around as Emily started to cry. He checked again, and then slowly drew out a length of cord.

"What is that? Eugh!" Sarah cried out, disgusted at the sight of the crude necklace, a tooth dangling by a chord.

"Rat!" Jake said, almost too softly for Sarah to hear. "He's gotten good! I didn't even notice."

With this rather ambiguous comment, he began scrutinizing the square, his face lighting up in recognition.

Sarah tried to follow his gaze towards a dark alleyway, but saw nothing.

"What are you talking about?" she said wearily.

"Come on, I've got an idea."

He grabbed Emily's arm, pulling her and Sarah along with him as he headed towards the alley entrance.

The three stood shivering a little way into the alley. A match flared in front of them, illuminating a grubby face, lounging against a wall.

"Ratero! Been stealing smokes again?" Jake said with a smile, as the scrawny figure lit a cigarette.

"Jakey, haven't seen you in a while." The figure replied, in a rather high, unremarkable voice, breaking his mysterious façade.

"You were always one for a dramatic entrance, Rat. Been in anyone's pockets recently?" Jake asked innocently, handing over the tooth-necklace.

Rat smirked, replying in the same nonchalant tone, faking offence. "What do you take me for? Come on, the other's will kill me if I don't bring you back for a visit."


	8. Old Friends

The small group emerged into a desolate street, having travelled across the slums throw the back alleys.

Both young men looked furtively around, on the alert for any trouble, then, assured that the coast was clear, headed across the street, Rat in the lead and Jake bringing up the rear.

They stopped in front of a seemingly deserted house, no different in appearance than any other, except maybe that it was in moderately better condition.

Rat knocked on the door- three quick raps, a pause, then two more. Jake smiled, herding his sister and potential sister together in front of him. He leaned forward and whispered "It's alright; It's safe in here."

"Who's there?!" A female voice called.

"Rat and some friends." Rat called through a crack in the wood.

An eye appeared at the crack in the wood, then the door was practically torn off its rusted hinges as the girl inside dove out and straight at Jacob.

She threw her arms around him, scattering Emily and Sarah in the process.

Sarah began to laugh at the semi-embarrassed-yet-quite-pleased-with-himself look on her brother's face.

"JAKE!" She squealed in his ear. Then she launched into rapid fire Spanish. Sarah heard Jake murmur something soothing back in the same language.

"Te extrañe, mi cielo."

Sarah looked across at Emily, who was examining the cobbled street with great interest. The young man called Rat, however, was watching the reunion with a little smile.

Jake bent his head and kissed the girl gently on the lips, the girl returning the kiss with enthusiasm.

"Oh, come off it you lovebirds!" A deep male voice said, tinged with a faint scouse accent, holding more than a hint of amusement.

The two parted reluctantly.

"Jakey, welcome home."

The older man emerged from the doorway.

"Charlie-Boy!" Jake greeted, grabbing Charlie's hand in his own while hugging the girl to him with the other.

Rat grinned. "Amara never greets me like that." There was no trace of anything other than affection in Rat's tone, and his long, tousled brown hair dropped over one eye.

"Come on; get inside before the patrols come around." Charlie suggested, ushering first Emily, then Sarah inside,

Jacob and Amara entered next, then Charlie and finally Rat, who was peeking down a side street. "TSCH! Patrols!" He scoffed as he shut the door and bolted it tightly.

Inside, Charlie dusted off two wooden chairs and set them against the wall. "Ladies." He offered the seats to Emily and Sarah.

Rat turned from the door... "Hey! My chair!"

"Shut up, kid. They're for the guests now."

Rat scowled and slid himself down the wall to the floor with a bump.

Jake and Amara disappeared into the next room and came back dragging two wooden crates each. Jake one set against the door with a fond wink at Rat, who grinned up at him, revealing a missing front tooth. The other he set for Charlie against the wall near the girls. Amara, meanwhile, placed the other two crates along the wall behind the door for herself and Jake to sit on.

The six of them were now arranged in a rough circle, all within touching distance of the person next to them.

Charlie sat down with a nod in Jakes direction. "So, I know your names, but who are you?" He said, casting a curious glance at Jacob.

"Sarah is my sister. and Emily is almost my sister-in-law." Jake clarified concisely.

Charlie grinned. "So you're this wonderful sister he told us so much about on his visits." He looked Sarah over appraisingly. "Jake, you didn't do her justice. Tsk tsk."

Jake kept himself carefully expressionless but the flicker of protectiveness in his eye was unmistakable.

"And Miss Emily, to which of Jake's brothers are you betrothed?" He asked lightly.

"Fritz." Emily replied, keeping her hands folded primly in her lap and looking around the cramped little room in distaste.

"Our eldest brother." Sarah supplied. She didn't seem worried by Charlie's apparent interest in her. Charlie nodded, taking note of all that was said.

Rat handed the cigarette to Jacob, who took a pull before Sarah punched him on the arm.

"What was that for?" he asked indignantly. Seeing her disapproving look at the cigarette, he sighed and handed it back to Rat.

"You _smoke_?" She asked, rather too protectively than Jake liked from his younger sibling.

"No! Well, occasionally. But no!"

Jake, seeing that Sarah was unlikely to drop the subject, quickly turned to Ratero.

"Now." He whacked Rat on the back of his head. "Hand it over _Fingers_"

"Ow! Hand what over?" Rat answered innocently, rubbing the back of his head.

Jake rewarded this with another smack.

"Ow!" Rat glared at Jake.

"Kid!" Charlie butted in, taking control of the quarrel.

"Ok, ok, I'm just messing with ya." Rat pulled out a handful of coins and passed them over to Jake, with a barely suppressed smirk.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Jake asked.

Rat's smile vanished. "How did you know?" he said, chagrined.

"How long have I known you, Rat?" Jake said with a laugh as he reclaimed his necklace and tied it back in place.

Rat returned the laughter. "But that was a good pull, right?"

"You haven't changed," Jake chuckled.

"Why are you called Rat?" Sarah asked, thankfully distracted for now at least.

At this Amara laughed, butting in before Rat had even begun to form an answer. "Don't spin her one of your tales, Rat!" She turned to Sarah, "It's short for Ratero. That's Spanish for a pickpocket."

"Which was strangely appropriate for Fingers, so it stuck," Jake finished, entwining Amara's fingers in his own.

The rest of the group had by this point reached the safe house. They were currently gathered in the drawing room, Ernst already buried in the first book he had found. Lara and David had been having a murmured discussion with Captain Montrose, connected by their fear for their daughters. Fritz had been silent since his fiancé had been reported missing, and had retired to his room soon after they arrived.

Montrose had sent a few of his men to search for the trio, but knew that they could be anywhere and the probability of finding them in such a large town was small. He prayed to god that his daughter was safe somewhere, off of the dangerous streets. He turned to Jenkins and Mason.

"And you didn't see anything?"

"No sir. One minute they were there, then the next they had vanished. We looked around but couldn't see any sign of them." Jenkins answered for them, looking dead ahead.

"Where could they be?"

"They were with the pirate boy, sir," Jenkins continued, slowly.

Montrose looked up sharply.

"You're point?"

"He's probably deserted, sir."

"With his younger sister and my daughter?" Montrose sounded incredulous.

"Hostages, perhaps?" Jenkins replied, staring levelly at his Captain.

"Be reasonable, Jenkins! They must have got separated in the crowds." Montrose dismissed the men with a nod, and began pacing around the room. "The men will find her."

David piped up. "If it's any consolation, they were with Jacob. He sounded like he knows this town; he'll do everything he can to look after them."

"But how much can a boy do here?"


	9. A Little Bit of History

A Little Bit of History

"So. How did you all meet Jacob?" Sarah asked, looking around at the three new faces in the room.

The four looked at each other. "You tell it, Jakey. It's mainly your tale, after all," Charlie said with a fond smile.

"Well. It was the first time we had been to Port William after the ship crashed. It was morning, and Blunt took me to look for you here, then he left me outside a building, and went inside, saying he had things to sort out.

I was waiting for a couple of hours, then all of a sudden Blunt and the men came pelting out, followed by a load of men with guns. I was going to follow them, but Blunt yelled at me to stay put, so I did.

In the evening, when he hadn't come back, I eventually found my way back to the dock, but the Albatross had disappeared."

"He abandoned you here? When you were _nine_?" Sarah burst out, angered by Blunt's reckless treatment of her brother.

"He didn't mean to, Sarah," Jacob said gently. "He came back as soon as he could, after he had taken the ship a few miles up the coast. But that still left me in Port William for a few days.

I was wondering around the streets, and unknowingly entered the Slums. I was in an alley when a group of street kids cornered me, and started making threatening comments, and then suddenly Charlie turns up, pelting fruit and yelling like a mad man. They ran for it, terrified, Charlie grabbed my arm and dragged me off here. We've been best friends over since."

"You actually live here?" Emily asked disgustedly. "Why?"

"Well it's better than the streets," Charlie retorted, protecting his home. "I've been living here for as long as I can remember, and this is the best home I've seen."

Noticing his guests' curious looks, he carried on.

"my parents died when I was a baby, and I was put in an orphanage in Port William. In this orphanage, in fact. It burnt down years ago, and everyone left."

"Except you," Sarah said, warming to this tragic story. Jacob suppressed a smile; Charlie had always been a charmer. It's probably how he survived so well living rough.

"Well it's the only home I've known. When it wasn't ruined by the fire, I thought it was a good a place as any."

"So that's how you two met, what about Amara and Rat?" Sarah pressed.

Charlie smiled at this. "Don't ask me. The kid just turned up one day and started following me around. I couldn't get rid of him, so he stayed."

"Hey!" Rat cried, to laughter from the others.

"'Just messing with ya'," Charlie quipped, "you're one of us, don't worry."

"How did you end up in Port William then, Rat?" Sarah asked the boy.

"Well, it's simple; My father was a drunkard. Don't ask about my mother, I barely remember her. My father got violent, and took his frustration out on me. When I had taken too much, I ran away from home. We lived in a port somewhere in Wales, so I stowed away on a ship and ended up here." He smirked at Sarah's shocked expression, showing her that his past didn't bother him.

"Now, Amara. That's a brilliant story," continued Jake, with a fond look at the girl by his side. "Why don't you start it?"

She gave him a dazzling smile, and cuddled closer so he could wrap his arm around her.

"Well, where do I start? Hmm…My father was from Thailand, my mother Spain. She travelled a lot, and met my father, and then moved to Thailand and had me. Then my father joined the army, and we never heard from him again. My mother got depressed without him, and eventually wasted away. After she died, I got on a ship to Port William and never looked back. You tell them how I was adopted to the group, Charlie, I love the way you tell it."

The leader of the rather diverse group leaned forward, with a conspiratorial grin on his face.

"Well, Jake was back for a while, and me, Jakey and the kid were mooching around the Slums when we see this girl wondering through the streets. The kid, as usual, starts making comments, bragging about how many people he'd beaten up that day, and generally failing to woo her. After a few minutes of this, the girl just walks straight up to him, kicks him in the-"

"Charlie!" Jake warned, with a meaningful look towards Sarah and Emily.

"-Knee," Charlie carried on smoothly, as if there hadn't been an interruption. "Then she just keeps on walking right up to us, and faces us off!

"How could we let her go? She has more spirit than most of the men in the Slums!" Charlie looked proudly at her, more like a brother than a friend.

"So how come you're in the group, Jacob? I thought you lived on the Albatross for those seven years," Sarah was enthralled by the tale, and did nothing to hide the fact.

"Blunt always used to come back to Port William in the stormy season, even if it was just to drop me off for a few weeks every now and again, so I could see everybody."

"Particularly one special somebody," Charlie said quietly, with a grin on his face.

"Shut up, Charlie-boy, I have way too many stories 'bout you," Jake joked back.

"Speaking of Blunt, where is the old devil?" Rat inquired. Jake's face spoke for him, and Amara pulled him towards her in comfort.

"I'm so sorry Jacob," Rat said as Amara murmured Spanish in his ear.

He smiled at Amara, then replied. "It's ok, Rat. It was going to happen eventually."

Sarah sat back, with a glance towards Emily who had been listening to the whole conversation, fascinated. "What's up?"

Emily blinked, then said "I was just thinking. You've all had such difficult lives!"

"You can see why Jake fits in so well," Charlie answered. "We all look after each other. We're practically family."

"Plus, when you can pickpocket it gets so much better, huh Jake?" Rat added with a smirk.

"Oh, so that's where you learnt it," Sarah said to an embarrassed Jake, then turned back to Rat. "Don't tell our Mother about that!"

Charlie looked up at Jacob and Sarah, confused. "Your Mother? I thought she was dead. And Sarah as well, for that matter. You've got a lot to tell us, Jake."

Amara nodded in agreement, and Rat added, "Yeah, like who were those two men who jumped you earlier?"

"What?!" Sarah cried out, "I thought you said you were knocked over? Wait…was it those two men who went after you at the party?"

"Jenkins and Mason?" Emily added, thoughtfully. "I thought Father told them to leave you alone?."

"The two Navy men?" Rat butted in while Jake avoided his sister's gaze. "They left him alone alright, _after_ they'd punched him in the guts!"

"Kid!" Charlie once again took control of his little family. "Why don't you and Jake go scrounge some food. And Jake," he added with a grin, as the boy made to follow Rat out of the building, "Try not to kill him."

Charlie was left with the three girls in the dusty room, and shuffled his seat round to close the circle again.

"Jake's so different here. So talkative," Sarah remarked to the room in general.

"What do you mean?" Amara asked.

"He hardly ever talked back on the island."

She chuckled in disbelief. "You sure you've got the right Jake? He's not as talkative as Ratero, perhaps, but he's never exactly been the reserved type!"

"I think there's a lot of things we don't know about Jakey-boy. Care to enlighten us?" Charlie said to Sarah, giving her another winning smile.

The group in the derelict house were quickly becoming acquainted, exchanging stories together when they heard the beginning of the secret knock- three quick raps followed by a smack and an exclamation from Rat.

"We're back," Jake called.

Amara got up quickly, and went to let the two in, a smile on her face. The three returned a few seconds later, carrying armfuls of bread and some fruit.

Sarah glanced over to the wall, seeing the pile of coins that Jake had left on the floor.

"Jake," she said slowly, crossing her arms. "Getting back into old habits again, are we?"

Jake noticed the evidence he had left behind, then cursed softly.

"I didn't steal anything!" He said defensively in the face of Sarah's unimpressed look. "I just distracted the shopkeeper, Rat did the actual stealing."

"Just?"

"Shouldn't we be worrying about finding my father, instead of Jacob's criminal tendencies?!" Emily's voice sounded shrill, leaving the others gaping at her in shock. Charlie was the first to recover.

"I'm sorry, we got a bit sidetracked." Charlie once again took over the role of peacemaker. "Where were they headed?"

"I don't know, Father said something about a safe house where we were staying for the night, then we were going to go to our house." Emily answered tearfully, soothed by Charlie's confident tone.

"Hmm. There are a few Navy buildings around. I think the best thing to do would be to take you to one of them and ask the men there to get a message to your father." Charlie noticed the alarmed look on Jake's face. "Oh. That might not be the best idea, actually." He paused thoughtfully.

"Well, Sarah and Emily can go in to ask for Captain Montrose, and I'll just wait outside. It'll give us a chance to catch up," Jake supplied, with a meaningful look at Amara.

It was early the next morning, and Jake sat outside the Navy building, deep in conversation with Amara who sat next to him. Rat had disappeared a short while ago, presumably doing what he did best. Charlie had gone with Sarah and Emily to enquire after her father, seeing as he was the only boy without a criminal record.

After a while, the trio came outside again, accompanied by a few Navy officers. Sarah and Charlie walked over to the seated couple, and told them the news.

"This is the same Navy Post that the others came to last night, apparently Captain Montrose left a few men here to look out for us before heading off to his house," she said, indicating the men who Emily was engaged in conversation with. "Someone's gone to get a carriage to take us there to meet them." She finished, just as a carriage came rattling around the corner.

Jake turned to Amara, saying a personal goodbye in her native language, then turned to the both of the two Orphans. "So, I guess this is goodbye. I'll try and visit you while we're here, but if I can't I'll definitely find you before we leave. And now I have a permanent residence, and Ernst is teaching me to read, I'll be able to write to you. Amara can read it to you and Rat, Charlie."

Amara's eyes were brimming; she hated having to say goodbye to Jacob; he never stayed for long enough, in her opinion. Knowing she wouldn't be able to say anything more without crying, she consoled herself my clinging to Jacob briefly, as Charlie bid farewell to them. With a quick kiss, she tore herself away from Jacob, and turned away after Charlie, giving a last look at the carriage as it moved off into the crowded seaport.

The carriage drew to a stop in front of the large house at the end of a long driveway. The drive had been strangely quiet, with Jacob staring vacantly out of the window, and Sarah and Emily finding it hard to start a conversation. As they trio stepped out of the carriage, the front door to the house opened and Lara ran out, followed soon after by Captain Montrose and David. Montrose embraced his daughter, who was yet again nearing tears after the scary experience. The group walked back into the house, the adults questioning the youngsters about their night experiences.


	10. A Close Encounter

Chapter 10- Close Encounters

It was later that evening. The Robinson's were sitting in a rather extravagant sitting room, well fed by their gracious hosts. Conversation was quiet, with no one willing to interrupt the serene atmosphere. Lara sat next to her husband, half-listening to his and William's conversation, taking in the sight of her family happy and complete in front of her:

Sarah and Fritz were having a half-hearted discussion about some matter, which Sarah was losing for once. Lara smiled, putting her daughter's lack of enthusiasm down to fatigue. In the corner Ernst was reading, a different book this time, but equally thick and daunting in appearance. Her eyes drifted to the other two, showing a mixture of surprise and delight at the sight of Emily and Jacob deep in discussion, previous misgivings discarded after their adventure.

Lara's eyebrows creased in contemplation at the thought; none of the three had mentioned any details of their experiences, Sarah merely commenting that they stayed with some of Jake's friends. Whatever happened, they seemed a lot closer because of it.

She was distracted as Jake stood up with a smile at Emily. He saw his mother's confused look, and said quietly, "I think I'll go to sleep, I'm quite tired. Good night."

"Good night, Jake," Sarah replied, with a sympathetic look that only made Lara more mindful of how little she knew about her son. She was slightly hurt that he found it easier to confide in Sarah than her, painfully aware that the only conversation they had shared had been short and trivial.

She turned to her daughter as soon as Jacob's already quiet footsteps had died down. "He seems to be going to bed earlier and earlier," she commented, her words guarded. Sarah seemed more alert, her argument with Fritz suspended as she shifted uncomfortably under her mother's gaze. Nevertheless, she made no move to reply.

Fritz rose and took the vacated seat next to his fiancé, wrapping his arm around her as she leant into his side. Ernst eyed the door thoughtfully, then commented.

"I've noticed that, and he hasn't been sleeping well at all. He's always been asleep when I get to bed, but after an hour or so I hear him wake up again. I wonder why. Sarah?" He looked towards his sister, knowing that she was the only one Jacob would have told.

"He hasn't mentioned much to me." She answered as smoothly as she could.

"So what has he told you? About what happened on the ship?"

"Ernst! Whatever he told me, he told me in confidence. You can't ask me to break my promise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to bed too." And with that she practically fled from the room, eager to escape her family's questioning.

Slowly she made her way up the numerous staircases to her room, so immersed with trying not to get lost in the house that she nearly missed her brother sitting at a window seat overlooking the cliff. She suddenly came to a halt under his amused look, then chuckled at her self-absorption.

"Going to sleep, huh?" she asked, with a wry grin.

Jake laughed softly, remarking "I couldn't sleep."

Sarah nodded sympathetically. Although, as she had told Ernst, Jacob hadn't even told her what nightmares were keeping him awake, he had told her about his irregular sleeping patterns and midnight strolls. As he turned his gaze back to the misty harbour in front of him, she clambered onto the seat next to him, and pulled the curtain shut, giving them some privacy. Jake smiled at his sister, who never ceased to amaze him with her constant vigilance; he had always liked enclosed spaces, they gave him privacy and allowed him to lose himself in thought; Something he did often to escape the brutality of the ship.

Sarah seemed more pensive than normal, not as quick to ask questions. Jacob supplied the conversation instead, quietly pointing out places in the town spread out before them, each accompanied by a small tale of his exploits with Charlie, Amara and Rat. Eventually he stopped and sat in silence once more, contemplating his sister's current mood.

"What's on your mind?" he asked softly, drawing a guilty look from his sister. When she didn't answer, he pressed on, with a teasing grin. "A certain young man perhaps?"

Sarah rewarded his assumption with a soft kick, then joined in the affectionate banter. "And what about you? You haven't stopped smiling since we got here! I certain girl of Hispanic parentage, maybe?" She giggled at his shocked face, then added in an undertone, "_mi cielo…_"

"Eavesdropper!" Jake said with mock offence.

"Pirate!" Sarah replied, then stopped, chiding herself for the inappropriate comment. She let out a sigh of relief as Jacob laughed at her horrified expression, then relaxed and joined in, at peace once more.

The brother and sister sat in comfortable silence as the rest of the house gradually retired. Sarah briefly remembered looking sleepily across at Jacob hours later, pleased to see him sleeping soundly for once. The next thing she recalled was waking up in her own bed with sunlight pouring through the open curtains.

***

Montrose stepped off of the coach with Jacob, waving goodbye to his parents and Ernst as they headed off to explore Port William. He hadn't seen Sarah since dawn, when he had awoken after a thankfully dreamless sleep, and carried her back to her bedroom. Apparently her predictions were correct; their parents had forbidden her from leaving the house for the rest of the stay, so she had been left, fuming, with Fritz and Emily. He had more pressing matters to worry about now, though, as he set off into the navy building, speeding up to walk next to Captain Montrose, just in case the men got any more ideas about payback.

"So, Jacob, where would Pickles go? We didn't see the Albatross in the harbour, but I recall you saying that they wouldn't land here anyway." Captain asked as they made their way into the navy office, and Montrose led the way to a table with a map spread out on it.

"No, my guess is they'll use the same place as Blunt did," Jacob replied, studying the map of Port William and the surrounding area, and finally pointing at a small port some miles down the coast. "Here. They'll have landed here then make their way up this road, coming into Port William from the south west."

"Where will they go after that?" Montrose asked.

"I don't know…I normally went with Blunt or with…some friends I know here. I never knew where Pickles and the other men went while they stayed here."

Captain Montrose sighed, feeling that the young man in front of him may not be telling the complete truth, through a feeling of loyalty perhaps?

Instead of pressing him for more answers, he relayed the information gained to some other officers in the building, then left with Jake and a few of his own crew. They split up near the same market square where Jake had been attacked, Jacob intent on spending as much time with the Orphans as possible. Despite Sarah's protests and Lara's coaxing, David had announced that this would be their last day in Port William before returning. Jake nodded shortly to Captain Montrose before heading off up a side alley leading off of the main road. He didn't get far, however, before an all too familiar figure appeared some way ahead of him.

Jake began backing off, praying his presence would go unnoticed and cursing himself for unconsciously using the familiar root from his piracy days. His prayers were cut short as the man let out a loud cry. The boy turned abruptly and pelted back out of the alley as the pounding boots got louder behind him, wrapping his arm around his side with a grimace as his ribs protested at the movement. He broke out into the busy street, not caring where he was heading. He shrank back as his escape was halted by an outthrust arm, jarring his already throbbing ribs, and looked up with trepidation into the face above him.

"Jacob!" Captain Montrose exclaimed, as Jacob relaxed somewhat. "What's wrong?"

"Pickles!" Jacob answered breathlessly, trying to break the man's hold, not-so-irrational fear gripping him. "He was right behind me!"

The Captain looked up sharply, immediately catching sight of the man they were hunting. He let go of the boy, drawing his pistol and charging after the offender, with a warning cry to his men.

Jacob watched as the chase drew away from him, then turned and headed off towards the orphanage once more, this time making sure to stay on the main roads.

***

The Robinson's were gathered around the dining table enjoying an evening meal provided by their hosts. Lara looked around the table, noting that conversation was sparse: Captain Montrose and David were talking quietly about something or other; Ernst seemed more concerned with the food than with conversation; Fritz and Emily were immersed with each other; Sarah was still fuming at her house arrest punishment. And as for Jacob…well, thought Lara, he's being his usual untalkative self.

"Those friends you stayed with the other night, Jacob," she began, gaining a confused look from her son. "I would like to meet them; maybe you could invite them over tomorrow for lunch."

"You…want to meet them?" Jacob asked in astonishment. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, it would be nice to meet them seeing as they mean so much to you." Lara smiled at Jacob's reaction, not realising what she was getting herself into…


	11. A Meeting Not to be Forgotten

Author's note: Sorry about the gap between new chapters, this is an old chapter I was working on, it's not quite finished but here it is.

I'm going to be re-writing the old chapters before I start writing any more of the story.

* * *

Chapter 11- A Meeting Not to be Forgotten

As Lara had requested, Jacob had gone down to the old orphanage and given the others the invitation. With strict warnings to Rat about keeping his stories to himself, the four set off to Montrose's house. They were greeted with some trepidation by the butler, who refused to believe that the ragamuffins he saw before him had actually been invited into the house.

Jacob led the orphans up into a drawing room, where the Robinson's and Emily were gathered. Lara immediately stood up to greet their guests, but stopped as she saw them troop through the door.

A short scruffy boy walked towards her, thrusting a filthy hand out.

"I'm Rat", he declared with a sniff.

"Excuse me? Rat?" Lara was taken aback by the dirty form in front of her. "That's an interesting name, where were your parents from?"

"Wales."

"Oh." She replied, too stunned to reply properly, as the boy called Rat wandered over to a side table and started examining the expensive ornaments it held.

"Kid! Get out of there," a taller and thankfully cleaner young man said as he stepped through the door, making Rat drop the lid on a china box with a crash. Charlie smiled his winning smile at Lara and then bent to kiss her hand, "I'm Charlie. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And I'm Amara," a girl said with a nervous smile, following with Jacob's hand tightly grasped in her own. Lara immediately saw the closeness between the two, and welcomed her rather more warmly.

As Jacob introduced the Orphans to the rest of the family, Rat had opened the window and was looking out of it. He turned to Jacob:

"Here, I recognise this house. Isn't this the place we broke into a couple of years back?"

The rest of the room froze, as Amara faked a coughing fit and Jacob practically ran over to Ratero, clamping a hand around his mouth and dragging him out of the room.

Charlie backed out of the room with a smooth smile plastered on his face, while the rest of the room looked on in horror.

"You! You were the ones who broke into my house?" Emily cried furiously as she advanced upon him.

"Rat has a tendency to speak exactly what he's thinkin' at any given time. Makes you wonder why he's so good at cheating at cards…" Charlie said pensively, then seemed to focus on the current situation and continued: "Pay no attention to him, he's most likely mad, thinks he's a master thief and all that, when really he's only an average pick-."

Amara interrupted him with a particularly loud cough, as she quickly exited the drawing room.

"ANYWAY. Must dash. Where was that thing you wanted to show us, Jakey-boy?" Charlie called in an attempt to make an escape. "Well… let's go look at it then, shall we? It was lovely meeting you Mrs Robinson, gentlemen…" And with that Charlie ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

In the drawing room the Robinson's unfroze after the dramatic meeting. Sarah held back a grin at Rat's tactful behaviour, noticing the worried expressions on her parents' faces.

"I cannot believe…he broke into a house?" Lara asked in disbelief, while David looked towards the door with narrowed eyes.

"Maybe it's not as it seems," she said, trying to soothe Emily's fury as well. She herself could not believe that Jacob had actually stooped to burglary. "Why don't we ask him to explain before we jump to any conclusions?"

She opened the door and found the Orphans in the hall. A bewildered Rat was surrounded, and being scolded in three different languages from Jacob alone. From the sound of it, the fact that he could only understand one word in three was not helping his confusion.

"What did I do?" he asked indignantly, receiving the customary slap around the head from a speechless Charlie.

"No puedo te creer…una cosa, I ask you to do una cosa..." Jacob stopped when he saw his sister and gave her an apologetic smile. He began pacing along the corridor, desperately trying to work out what to do while Amara explained to Rat just how stupid his actions had been. After a few deep breaths Jacob calmed down and stopped his pacing. He turned to Sarah with a worried frown.

"How bad is it?"

Sarah gaped at her brother in disbelief. "You broke into a _house_! What do you think?" She noticed him wince at her words, and her voice softened. "I think it would be best if you went and explained what happened, Mother and Father are worried."

Jacob took a deep breath and, following Sarah's wise advice, led the way back into the room to try and remedy the situation.

Emily immediately rushed forward. "Why didn't you tell me that it was _you_ who broke into my house? I can't believe I actually forgave you! You're just a common thief, a burglar!"

"Please," Jacob interrupted her flow of insults, and took in his fathers calculating look. "Let me explain Father, it's not quite as it seems."

"Go on," David said shortly, trying to restrain his anger. His time on the island had made him realise that people deserved a chance to explain, though he was finding it hard to think of a possible excuse for Jacob's behaviour.

Amara squeezed Jacob's hand reassuringly as he sighed and prepared to tell them the story.

"It was about two years ago. We were coming back to Port William one night after Rat had completely failed to woo one of your maids, what was her name?"

"Giselle," Ratero replied with a wistful expression. "She was perdy…"

"Anyway, we were walking past your house and Rat got curious about 'those posh houses'. So, he climbed in through an open window while we kept watch around the back…"

-Flashback-

"Where is he?" Charlie exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. It was a cold, grim night and they had been waiting below the open first story window for nearly half an hour for Rat to return. "That's it, my hands are gonna fall off if we have to wait any longer. Someone's got to go find him and drag him out of there," he said, looking towards Jacob who had his arm around a freezing Amara.

"I'll go," Jacob sighed, getting to his feet. "Whistle if you see them coming, alright? And get Amara out of here; they could come back at any minute."

"Alright, we'll be behind that outhouse. Be careful," Charlie replied before pulling Amara to her feet.

Jacob swiftly climbed up the plant-covered wall, cursing softly as he hoisted himself smoothly in through the window. He landed silently and looked around: the room was obviously a study, and a large one at that. Thick bound books lined the huge shelves, and there was a stately mahogany desk to one side. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom he saw the door, slightly ajar, on the opposite side of the room.

He crossed the study and was soon standing in a deserted hall, with no sign of Ratero. Swearing to slap the idiot around the head when he finally found him, he set off down a random corridor. After a couple of minutes he had had no more luck in his search. A shrill whistle sounded from outside the house, and Jacob ran silently to a window. A coach was making its way up the drive; the Montrose's were home. Jacob backed away from the window, his head turning swiftly towards the door as he heard the tinkle of breaking glass. Knowing it could only be Rat, he headed in the direction of the sound and found him in a bedroom.

"Come on! They're home, we've got to get out!" he hissed, grabbing Rat's arm and dragging him towards the door. But he was stopped as he saw candle light down the hall, and heard the faint sound of lowered voices. Cursing, he ducked back into the room, looking for somewhere to hide.

Seeing an alcove in one wall, covered with a heavy curtain and full of junk, he pushed Rat into cover, and followed him in, just in time as a maid entered the bedroom and lit the lamps. The maid gasped at the sight of a broken vase on the floor, and he covered Rat's mouth to stop the heavy breathing in the lengthy silence that followed.

Peaking through a gap in the cloth, he saw a young girl, slightly older than himself enter the room.

"What is it, Lucy?" she asked curiously as the maid started to clean up the fragments of glass.

"Nothing to worry about, one of the cats must have knocked over a vase," the maid replied, leaving the room and shutting the door with a curtsey. "Goodnight ma'am."

Jacob and Ratero watched as the girl locked the door and took off her jacket. He felt Rat's grin and quickly covered the boy's eyes with his spare hand, focusing on the floor. When he heard the girl blow out the candles and slip into bed, he removed his hand from Rat's eyes but kept his mouth covered, knowing Rat would choose this moment to make an inappropriate comment that would give them away.

They waited for half an hour, hardly daring to move despite the pain the cramped space was causing. When he was sure the girl was asleep, he carefully released Ratero, and drew the curtain back.

The girl looked to be his age, maybe a little older. She had light blonde hair, carefully arranged into perfect ringlets which were framing her head. He studied her with a mixture of disdain and envy, suddenly reminded of how his life could have been, and mentally comparing it to his own illicit existence.

He banished the thought; he had his ever-loyal friends who would do anything for him and a Captain who had practically become his father over the years. His life of piracy and thievery was a constant adventure, why would he want to be like the girl in front of him, spoiled and petted with no bigger worries than what to wear to the next social event?

He broke from his reverie as he remembered that he was locked in a young lady's bedroom, in the house of a very familiar Navy Captain, and with Rat no less. He crept over to the thankfully uncovered window and began negotiating with the lock holding them captive.

After a minute the lock finally clicked, and he pushed the window open, the cool breeze a welcome gift. He turned to get Rat, only to see the boy's face a couple of inches from that of the sleeping girl. He stared in horror as the boy puckered his lips and got closer and closer, his intentions all too clear.

The girl, smelling the stench of Rat's breath, awoke with a scream as she stared into a grubby face. Jacob leapt towards Rat, hearing a crash down the corridor and the sound of running feet. He hastily grabbed the boy's arm, shoving him towards the open window.

While Rat made his escape, Jacob looked back as the door started to rattle and he heard a deep voice from the other side. The girl had leapt up from the bed and was unlocking the door. Jake didn't need further prompting, and jumped out of the window after Ratero, just as the man broke through the doorway.

He landed heavily on the gravel outside, hearing the enraged shouting from above, and pelted into the night, dragging the limping Ratero with him.

-End of Flashback-

Jacob finished his tale and looked towards his family and Emily, trying to gauge their reactions.

"You were in my bedroom?" Emily spluttered. Thankfully she was no longer shouting, but, Jake reasoned, that could just be shock at the realisation of how close she came to being kissed by Rat.

"Yes. Not intentionally. Well…" he hesitated, looking towards Rat who was staring dreamily at Emily. "It was wrong; we were young and foolish; we shouldn't have done it. I'm sorry."

Silence filled the room as Emily sat down next to Fritz, frowning in thought. Then David spoke, his voice gruff and severe.

"Did you steal anything?" he asked, in an almost business-like manner.

"Of course I didn't!" Jake said in disbelief; he may have done many things in his past, but he was not a petty thief. He stopped, guarding his emotions once more. "Rat, did you steal anything?"

"No! Well, only a couple of cigars. What?" he asked, confused by Jacob's stern gaze. "He had a whole box of 'em on his desk, he was hardly gonna miss 'em was he?"

Jacob sighed and turned back to the more serious matter that lay in front of them.

"Are you going to tell your father?" he asked Emily with a look of apprehension.

The colour drained from Rat's face in sudden realisation.

"You're father's here?"

"Of course he is Rat!" Jacob said in annoyance. Why didn't Rat think of that before he opened his mouth in the first place?

Rat gulped, and looked around edgily. "I think we should be goin' Jake…"


End file.
